Large eddy simulation of supersonic flow in ducts with complex cross-sections

Large Eddy Simulation (LES) has been employed for the investigation of supersonic flow characteristics in five ducts with varying cross-sectional geometries. The numerical results reveal that flow channel configurations exert a considerable influence on the mainstream flow and the near-wall flow behavior. In contrast to straight ducts, square-to-circular and rectangular-to-circular ducts exhibit thicker boundary layers and a greater presence of vortex structures. Given the same inlet area, rectangular-to-circular ducts lead to higher flow drag force and total pressure loss than square-to-circular ducts. Characterized by the substantial flow separation and shock waves, the S-shaped duct shows significant vertically-asymmetric characteristics.

Automated summary

The study employs Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to investigate the supersonic flow characteristics in ducts with varying cross-sectional geometries. The numerical results show that the flow channel configurations significantly influence the mainstream flow and near-wall flow behavior, with different shapes of ducts leading to different flow patterns and losses.